Is there a healthy alternative to sugar? How can I measure changes to my mental acuity? And how can cancer prevention be made more reliable? These questions are at the heart of three innovative validation projects— “Sweeternative,” “Trackognize,” and “HPV & Cervix all-in-one Test”— that are receiving funding from the prototyping grant’s application round #2 of the Transfer Center enaCom. The teams from the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) are each receiving a prototyping grant to develop their innovative research findings to market readiness. Calls for the grants with up to 50,000 euros in funding are regularly posted by the Transfer Center.

The Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Bonn is to confer an honorary doctorate on the Bishop of Antwerp, Dr. Johan Bonny, in recognition of his outstanding service to the synodality of the Catholic Church and the revitalization of its teachings on marriage, the family and other forms of relationship and ways of life. The ceremony will be held at 6:15 pm on Tuesday, June 6 at the Forum Internationale Wissenschaft (FIW), Heussallee 16–24, Bonn. There are still some spaces available. Please email dekanat.ktf@uni-bonn.de to reserve a seat. 

From climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic through to the crisis of truth, science communication is facing some significant challenges. How much academic research does good science communication require? What do we need to know about the academic system in order to assess, communicate and categorize scientific knowledge? These are some of the questions being tackled by an international conference entitled “Nowhere(to)land? What Science Studies Contribute to Science Communication.” Held in English, it will be hosted by the Forum Internationale Wissenschaft (FIW) at the University of Bonn from Wednesday, June 14 to Friday, June 16. 

Whole grain products are healthy, but not particularly popular. However, providing information of their benefits can change that, at least a little bit. This is demonstrated by a recent study conducted by the University of Bonn, involving over 300 people between the ages of 18 and 39. But despite receiving relevant information daily for two weeks, the effect was relatively small. The researchers therefore believe that education alone is unlikely to achieve the recommended consumption levels. The study has now been published in the journal "Appetite."

Spain’s University of Murcia has presented an honorary doctorate to Prof. Dr. Rainer Streubel from the Institute for Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Bonn. 

How can artificial intelligence (AI) help to predict the risk of obese people suffering from cardiovascular diseases? A total of eleven partners from eight countries have formed a consortium to launch the AI-POD research project, which is being coordinated by the University of Bonn. Over the next four years, the European Union (EU) will be providing around €5.3 million in funding for the project as part of the Horizon Europe research and innovation program. 

The University of Bonn has received a grant worth around €50,000 as part of the “Diversity at German Universities” initiative, which the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) launched in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The funding is to be used to make diversity more visible to the public both within and outside the University and enable all the various status groups to have a hand in the University’s strategy process.

How can people work together to forge new, environmentally sustainable paths in a complex system? This is the question being tackled by Jun.-Prof. Dr. Wolfram Barfuss, the new Argelander professor in the Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Futures Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA Sustainable Futures) at the University of Bonn. He is developing mathematical models for collective learning and linking different research areas, including complex systems, artificial intelligence and social ecology, in order to identify key levers for easing the transition to sustainability. Barfuss and his team are based at the Center for Development Research (ZEF).